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Posted October 17, 2013 09:55 pm - Updated January 22, 2016 02:58 pm

Letters to the Editor Friday

A recent article in the Savannah Morning News about SPLOST and the arena as one of its projects mentioned a property at the comer of Stiles Avenue and West Gwinnett Street that could possibly be razed for the proposed arena.

However, I was also pleased to read that the city had put out a request for proposals for a historic and structural assessment of the massive red brick building used as a city garage.

That building has an interesting history.

George J. Baldwin introduced the electric streetcar to Savannah in 1888.

It is thought that he arranged the commission for New York architect William G. Preston to design what the National Trust referred to in one of its publications as “the large patterned brick complex on Gwinnett Street.”

Baldwin would use this building to house the streetcars, repair areas etc. It would later become the water works.

Preston made his mark in Savannah by designing the Cotton Exchange, the Chatham County Courthouse on Wright Square and the Savannah Volunteer Guards building, the first of SCAD’s restorations and headquarters. Preston also oversaw the expansion of the Ballastone Inn.

Especially outstanding in this circa 1892 building is the outstanding brick trim work highlighted by intricately crafted faces and figures. Handcrafted brick work of this type is no longer seen in today’s buildings.

Surely, if nothing else, this exceptional brick work could be saved, preserved and/or re-purposed.

In the article, Acting Assistant City Manager Dick Evans commented, “It would be a shame to lose this building.”

I heartily agree with Mr. Evans.

MARTY BARNES

Savannah

U.S. has way to deal with unpopular laws

First let me say that I am a proud American citizen, born and raised right here in the good old U. S.

I proudly served my country as a member of the United States Air Force for 22 years, unlike some many of the trouble makers in our Congress today.

My political views tend to be moderates. However, after reading the letter (Oct. 6) from Yun Cha Soucy, I feel compelled to comment.

In the United States of America, once a law has been enacted and passed by Congress and then upheld by the Supreme Court, it is the law of the land. Because of that simple fact, the president doesn’t have to negotiate.

The Affordable Healthcare Act is the law of the land. Our constitution has a way to deal with unpopular laws as it allows Congress to repeal those laws as they did with prohibition.

When President Roosevelt passed the Social Security Act, many in Congress and the country didn’t like it.

When President Harry S Truman enacted the National Security Act, which desegregated the military, again there were those in our government and country who did not like it.

More recently, when President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, there were many who didn’t like it. In each of those situations, the opposition decried how those laws could destroy our country.

Guess what? They were wrong.

JAMES R. SMITH

SMSgt., USAF (Retired)

Garden City

Ordinary citizens should get fair considerations

Where have all the grown-ups gone? There certainly is no evidence of any in Washington, D.C., where we sent them to conduct the business of our country. All they do is name call.

Mr. President, we know you were elected twice and your signature legislation has been upheld by your re-election and by the courts. However, you were elected to be president of all of us — even the ones who disagree with you.

What would be the harm in extending the same considerations to us ordinary citizens as you have to those you have singled out to receive preferential treatment, and why aren’t you and the other elected officials subjected to the same laws as the rest of us?

Either put the whole law into effect, as originally passed, or make it fair for everyone.

Another thing, if the furloughed government employees are to receive their “missed pay” retroactively, why shouldn’t they be on the job now? Hence, no government “shut-down” would be needed.

The president says he is for the middle class, yet punishes the very ones he says he is for. So if he is trying to make a point, I think we got it.

They can point fingers all they want, but there are three fingers pointed right back in their direction, and they are the ones deciding what gets shut down.

HARRIETT BLISSETT

Savannah

Lack of cooperation makes U.S. look bad

Now we have another “bad” result of the total lack of co-operation between the president and Congress. The lack of co-operation is complete.

The House and Senate cannot agree on anything, and neither can work with the president. This whole situation makes the United States look weak and ineffective to the rest of the world. America has always been the source of stability.

We are looking bad to our allies and adversaries alike. We have saved the world several times in the past. We are saving no one now, not even ourselves.

BILL BURNS

Savannah

A lesson on Georgia and Confederate flags

To the person complaining about the Alee Temple floats flying the old Georgia state flags instead of the new Georgia state flags (Vox Populi, Oct. 16), you need a lesson about what he or she called the stars and bars.

The old Georgia state flag that was described doesn’t have the stars and bars on it.

It has the soldiers regimental battle flag on it (which was never officially adopted by the government of the Confederate States of America), and furthermore the new Georgia state flag is basically the Confederate first national flag (what is known as the stars and bars of the Confederacy) with the Georgia state seal inserted inside the stars on the blue canton with two red bars and one white bar between the red bars.

As a matter of fact, the ladies of Henry County gave a flag to the soldiers of the Henry Rifles to be their company banner during the Civil War, which was almost identical to the new Georgia state flag.